LIHU‘E — A new Kaua‘i nonprofit is working to spread awareness about the ongoing struggle marine mammals face in Hawaiian waters. The condition of endangered humpback whales within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is now “fair,” according
LIHU‘E — A new Kaua‘i nonprofit is working to spread awareness about the ongoing struggle marine mammals face in Hawaiian waters.
The condition of endangered humpback whales within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is now “fair,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But Kohola Mana ‘Ohana is determined to further improve conditions so this marine mammal, and others threatened by mostly human-created problems, can survive.
The organization is particularly concerned about the lack of federal rules or regulations within the roughly 1,400-square-mile sanctuary, said Kohola Mana ‘Ohana Chair Nina Monasevitch.
Around 12,000 humpback whales migrate to Hawai‘i each winter between November and May to mate, calve and nurse their young. Encounters with elements such as boats and fishing nets are largely to blame for their deteriorating health, according to the sanctuary’s outreach and communications coordinator, Christine Brammer.
Last season, 10 whales were entangled around the Main Hawaiian Islands and five vessel-whale contacts were confirmed, Brammer said.
Sanctuary staff have removed more than 6,500 feet of “entangling gear” from humpback whales in Hawaiian waters.
Some 750 tons of “derelict fishing gear” have been removed from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and more then 100 tons from the shores of the Main Hawaiian Islands since 1996, she said.
Even though the sanctuary has a marine debris program established, it is not enough to ensure the species’ survival, Monasevitch said. Regulations and legal consequences for discarded fisher’s nets should be enforced, she added.
Same goes for establishing and enforcing speed regulations for boaters and limiting acoustic disturbances such as sonar and underwater explosives, Monasevitch said.
Marine mammals — who use sound to communicate, travel and discover food — have attempted to avoid sonar in the past, according to NOAA documents. Four mass strandings — Greece in 1996, Bahamas in 2000, Madeira in 2000 and Canary Islands in 2002 — involved beaked whales (similar to melon-headed whales who were stranded in Hanalei Bay during the Navy’s RIMPAC exercises in 2004) and NOAA identified the “most likely” cause as “active military sonar.”
“Currently, the sanctuary does not have the authority to enforce sonar limitations,” Brammer said. “A representative of the U.S. Navy sits on the sanctuary advisory council, serving as a liaison to the Navy concerning issues that affect humpback whales.”
Other issues like habitat degradation and water pollution are among the additional concerns Kohola Mana ‘Ohana would like the sanctuary to address, Monasevitch said.
“Although humpback whale habitat remains widely available in the Hawaiian Islands, some preferred habitats could be removed due to offshore development activities,” a NOAA press release says.
A management plan review to assess the sanctuary’s programs and effectiveness are underway, Brammer said. The plan was last revised in 2002 and the sanctuary is required by law to periodically update it.
The sanctuary, formed by Congress in 1992, is also proposing to “expand its scope and direction to protect and conserve other living marine resources besides humpback whales” Brammer said.
For information about upcoming public meetings and where to send comments, see the sidebar.
“The only way the sanctuary will step up to the plate and take action is if you take action and let them know you demand rules and laws to protect the whales and their ocean habitat,” Monasevitch said.
Visit hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov for more information.
• Coco Zickos, business and environmental writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com.
Two public scoping meetings on the future of NOAA’s HawaiianIslands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary will be held Aug.14 on Kaua‘i:
• 9 a.m. to noon at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School Cafeteria inLihu‘e
• 4 to 7 p.m. at Kilauea Neighborhood Center in Kilauea.
Comments may also be submitted by Oct. 16 to:
• Management Plan Review Coordinator, Hawaiian Islands HumpbackWhale National Marine Sanctuary, 6600 Kalaniana‘ole Highway, Suite301, Honolulu, HI, 96825
• hihwmanagementplan
@noaa.gov
• 808-397-2650 (fax)
